Category: Land before Time

Rating: T

Couples: none

Warnings: Blood, Character Death (Same level as first Movie)

Chapter: 12

Copyright: © characters and places by United Pictures; © Plot and OC by me

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Chomper did not return to the Valley from where-ever he had gone. Several days afterwards Petrie's mother and several other fliers flew out over the Mysterious Beyond, but they found no trace of the young Sharptooth. This upset Littlefoot and his friends to no end, because they feared he had fallen victim to one of the grown-up Sharpteeth around the Valley. Especially Littlefoot took it hard, since that was just another loss on top of that of his Grandmother. He might have overcome it, but the memory still hurt, much like that of his mother. He did his best to not think about either of them much, but his Grandfather made that impossible in regards to his grandmother.

Outside the Great Wall the four Sharpteeth would still challenge one another, growing fiercer and more violent every time they met.

On one of the rare times the children ventured out into the Mysterious Beyond they saw that Red Claw had replaced Screech... by several other Fast Biters, each as much out for their blood as the one whose place they had taken. After that their parents all but forbid them from leaving the Valley. But none of them had any desire to go out there.

Despite the caution of the grown-ups to keep what secret passages there were secret, it would be inevitable that one of them would be found. Soon enough it indeed happened: one of Red Claw's Fast Biters found a way in near the border of Red Claw's territory. Soon enough the Great Valley-residents found themselves under attack.

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"I don't think I could have stayed silent." Chomper admitted to the old Longneck after a week or so when she asked why he had tarried so long with his parents. His parents and sister had went out to hunt... At least his mother and sister had, his father had traveled to the border with Red Claw's domain to protect their territory from him. "I would blurt it out the moment even a mention of you is made."

"I can imagine." Grandma Longneck looked at the entrance of the cave. "I can barely begin to imagine his pain."

"He was broken." Chomper agreed with her. "He still is."

"He loved me for the better part of his life, just as I did him." She lowered her head. "Being separated is a torture already. But believing the other dead? I do not want to imagine it."

Chomper nodded. "How much longer do you think you'll need?"

"One or two days, according to your father." The old Longneck looked at her nearly-healed wounds. "Until now, his word has proven true."

Chomper nodded, looking at a scar on her neck. "You will look terrible once this is over."

"I guess I'll have to be glad I survived at all." She chuckled. "I heard what your mother said about a Longneck-shadow."

"You think that really was your daughter?" Chomper gasped.

"Or one of my other children." Grandma sighed. "Sadly, I outlived several of them. Or perhaps it really was coincidence. Who knows?"

"Who knows." Chomper agreed. "We will never know."

A tremor traveled through the earth, a deep roar echoing in the very stone around them.

"That's dad!" Chomper jumped up, running to the cave-entrance. Behind him the old Longneck rose to her feet, following him more slowly. From deeper into the Mysterious Beyond the two Sharpteeth-females answered, their voices echoing between the canyon-walls.

The old male was the first to arrive, shortly followed by the rest of the family.

"What is wrong?" Tyra demanded of her mate.

"Red Claw did not come today." He was panting, having run from the border all the way back. "I used one of the secret entrances: he is attacking the Valley with a dozen or so Fast Biters."

"What?" Grandma demanded. "Are you certain?"

"Who does have the better eyes here?" Rec countered. "The Great Valley is under attack."

"I cannot let them fight alone..." Grandma breathed.

"What will we do?" White Star asked her parents. They looked from her to the Longneck to their son. Then they shared a quick glance.

"We'll help." Her father stated. "Your brother's friends are in there. Besides, this will be the perfect opportunity to get rid of Red Claw. And I think we'd have a angry Longneck here if we decided any different."

"I think it'd mostly be an absent one." Grandma assured him. "I know better than to pick a fight with three adult Sharpteeth."

"Let's see if Red Claw agrees." Tyra shook her head. "I think asking you to stay here and out of trouble is an idle hope?"

"Definitely." Chomper told her. "I'm sure I can help somehow."

"We'll see about that." His sister stated. "I just hope we are not too late."

Grandma well remembered how Pterano had lost a small herd worth of Flatteeth to what he told them had only been 6 or 7 Fast Biters. That she had held out so long against the ones that had attacked her had been a sheer miracle, helped along with her size, which had protected her by making most vulnerable places hard to reach. Most Valley-residents did not have that advantage. Especially the children would be in danger.

"We'll go on ahead." Rec stated. "Longnecks are not known for their speed."

"I will find a way to make that a compliment." Grandma looked back at him. "And not hit you with my tail."